City staff suggested,early in the process,the RPP program should start small,the program can be expanded more easily than contracted. Flooding time restricted streets for homeowner parking sends the wrong message and defeats the purpose of time restricted streets. Downtown merchants will bear the brunt of this ordinance.
Offer instead a 2hr Time Restricted Block (TRP) program within the hypothetical parking area. The restrictions are 9am-6pm. The number of permits offered per household would be halved from 4 to 2. Any block near downtown that is already a 2 hr time restricted block or petitions to become a 2hr time restricted block will be offered 2 hanging permits at $60 each per year. This program will incent homeowners to park within their footprint, incent all day commuters and downtown workers to use City/Caltrain lots. The TRP will free up parking spaces near downtown for 2 hours at a time during business hours when the downtown parking district is at or near capacity. Residents will have their quality of life made better. Homeowner guests,service workers or home care workers may park unrestricted. There are many examples of time restricted streets in residential areas today that function as intended. The city will save hundreds of thousands of dollars (~$400,000 to start) in color coded signs and administration.
A TRP initiative would be pro-resident and pro-business.